Daishen Nix
He was on the court for only two minutes, but for Daishen Nix of Anchorage it’s a moment that will last forever.
The 19-year-old tonight made his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets after getting on the court for the final moments of a 102-89 home win over Oklahoma City.
Nix, who was called up from Houston’s G League team earlier in the day, set up teammates for wide open shots on two of his three possessions. His court vision and passing skills are his bread and butter.
The first time he touched the ball he drove into the paint and passed up a shot to share the ball, passing to Jae’Sean Tate for a wide open 3-pointer that missed.
The last time he touched the ball he earned his first assist after setting up Alperen Sengun for a devastating dunk down the lane with 21 seconds left that punctuated the win. This was the third straight victory for the Rockets, who had lost 16 of 17 to start the season.
Nix becomes the fifth Alaskan to play in the NBA, and the second this season. Anchorage’s JT Thor made his debut with the Charlotte Hornets last month, joining Alaska’s legendary Big 3 of Carlos Boozer, Mario Chalmers and Trajan Langdon. Among that group, Nix is the only one to make it as an undrafted player.
Nix signed a two-way deal with the Houston Rockets before the season and was assigned to the franchise’s NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He’s been great in the G League, with the 6-foot-5 point guard starting and serving as floor general for the G League’s only 8-0 team. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists with Rio Grande.
Nix is expected to bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League as his development continues.
He won’t turn 20 until Feb. 13, 2022.
Two years ago, he was a senior in high school. We saw him play in the Alaska Airlines Classic at West High.
Last year he opted to sign a six-figure deal with the G League rather than play college basketball at UCLA. That decision was later scrutinized by people on social media after UCLA advanced to the Final Four and Nix didn’t get picked in the NBA Draft.
Undrafted and undaunted, Nix found redemption with the Rockets.
